Blizzard Overblown

Blizzard Overblown

‘Historic’ Screwup Shuts City Down

#Blizzard #Cuomo #MayordeBlasio

Photo by David Greene

By Dan Gesslein

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 27- You call that a Blizzard? Bronxites awoke to find the Storm of the Century was anything but as the city received half to three times less snow than was forecast.

Yesterday Mayor Bill deBlasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo urged residents to stay in their homes because of the massive historical snowfall heading for New York City. Planes were grounded. The subways were shut down and the highways and roads were banned of all traffic except for emergency vehicles. Drivers breaking the ban were threatened with tickets costing up to $300.

The true effect on local restaurants is unknown since the mayor grounded takeout deliveries. The ban on non-

(Fear the snow. Gov. Cuomo told residents to stay home because of the "historic" blizzard)

emergency vehicles was extended to bicycles and scooters leaving restaurants to only deliver takeout by foot.

Instead of the big dig, Bronxites woke up to a mere 

sprinkling of the most 12 inches of snow not the 24 to 36 inches that were forecast. Many residents breathed a sigh of relief and were happy that the cleanup would go quickly.

There were no major outages reported throughout the borough by Con Edison.

(Road conditions the day BEFORE the blizzard were far worse than the blizzard itself. -Photo by Dan Gesslein)

“As of 11:30 am Tuesday I am getting reports that asphalt can be seen on main thoroughfares and that the Sanitation Dept. is well on its way to addressing side streets,” said Councilman James Vacca. "The fact that this storm was not as bad as anticipated will certainly mean a quicker snow cleanup on the week ahead."

Travel was worse the day before the storm with limited plowing and salting on the Hutch and I-95 which snarled the rush hour traffic home. Those who raced back from work to get home before the supposed massive storm were instead forced to brave snow and ice covered roads of the traffic snarled I-95 and Hutchinson River Parkway. Riders jammed subways before being stuck in the city.

As for the hysteria caused by the build up to the snowstorm, the reaction among officials was simply “My Bad.” The massive press conferences at a sanitation garage declaring the state of emergency by deBlasio was replaced with a simple one sentence statement issued this morning by the mayor’s stating that the roads were reopened. 

Who is to blame for shutting down the city? Well one weather forecaster took to Twitter to voice his mistake.

“My deepest apologies to many key decision makers and so many members of the general public,” tweeted National Weather Service meteorologist Gary Szatkowski. “This is a big forecast miss.”

Many took the screw up in stride but were not sure how this could be such a miss.

“They do realize that we get snow storms in January right?” asked one frustrated commuter. “This is the Bronx. A few flakes is not the end of the world.”

"I do not criticize forecasters," Gov. Cuomo said at a news conference after the storm. The governor said he would rather be "safe than sorry."

STORM UPDATE

STORM UPDATE

Roads to Close

Schools Closed

#SnowStorm #Blizzard 

Already slow going

 

Tweet

Click for weather forecast









BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 26- Mayor de Blasio today updated New Yorkers on the approaching winter storm, warning people to refrain from travel as the storm’s intensity worsens this afternoon and through Tuesday. The mayor will issue a local Winter Weather Emergency Declaration restricting travel in all cases except emergencies beginning at 11 PM Monday. The latest forecasts anticipate approximately two feet of snow and near-blizzard conditions across New York City.

“Our message to New Yorkers is to not underestimate this storm. Make preparations to get home this afternoon before the worst of the storm hits. The combination of heavy snow and wind will make travel dangerous. We need cars off the road so that our equipment can do its work and keep streets passable for emergency vehicles. This will be mandatory at 11 PM tonight,” said Mayor de Blasio.

Latest Forecast

A blizzard warning will be in effect from 1 PM today (January 26) through Tuesday night (January 27). Snow accumulations between 20 and 30 inches are anticipated, with the heaviest snowfall occurring late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Heavy winds, with gusts reach up to 65 miles per hour, will severely reduce visibility.

A Coastal Flood Warning has been issued for parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx during overnight hours. A Coastal Flood Advisory is also in effect for parts of Manhattan and Staten Island overnight as well. 

Travel

Streets and highways will be closed to all but emergency vehicle travel at 11 PM Monday night until further notice. Only vehicles related to emergency services, vital City services and delivery of vital supplies will be permitted on streets until the order is lifted. New Yorkers are also urged not to walk or venture outside once the worst of the storm hits this evening.

Schools

Schools are open today but will be closed on Tuesday (January 27). Regents exams scheduled for Tuesday will be rescheduled for Thursday. After-school programs, adult education programs and PSAL activities are canceled today and tomorrow.

Snow Removal

The Department of Sanitation has 12-hour shifts of 2,400 workers each on duty, with 1,800 collection trucks outfitted with plows (up from usual 1,500) and another 500 salt spreaders, also outfitted with plows. City agencies have dedicated a further 250 pieces of equipment, for a total of 2,550 vehicles now dedicated to the effort. Plowing progress can be followed via the PlowNYC feature at nyc.gov/plownyc.

Parking and Trash Collection

Alternate side parking and garbage/recycling collection are suspended Monday (January 26), Tuesday (January 27) and Wednesday (January 28) to facilitate snow removal. Parking meters remain in effect.

Emergency Response

911 should only be used in case of emergencies. All other snow related inquiries and reports should be made to 311. FDNY has added 110 additional ambulances to its operations this afternoon—bringing its total to 380 on duty. The agency is also adding a fifth firefighter to each engine company. More than 500 additional personnel will support operations over the next 24 hours.

Parks

City parks will close at 6 PM Monday and remain closed until further notice, to avert danger from falling tree branches weighed down

with snow.

Ferry Service

Staten Island and East River Ferry service are operating on a normal schedule until further notice, but modified service is possible as conditions worsen.

Heat and Hot Water

Any tenant lacking heat and hot water should immediately call 311. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development has crews responding.

Homeless Services

Code Blue protocols are in effect. No one seeking shelter in New York City will be denied. Anyone who sees a homeless individual or family out in the cold should call 311 immediately and an outreach team will be dispatched to assist them.

Further Notifications

For information and updates related to weather and travel conditions, visit NYC.gov/severeweather. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can receive phone calls, text messages, and/or emails alerts about traffic and transit disruptions and other emergencies. To sign up for Notify NYC, call 311, visitNYC.gov/notifynyc, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Ban sex offenders from shelters-pols demand

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Ban sex offenders from shelters-pols demand: Ban sex offenders from shelters-pols demand #SexOffenders #Homeless #Shelters BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 25- State Senator and Independent D...

Ban sex offenders from shelters-pols demand

Ban sex offenders from shelters-pols demand

#SexOffenders #Homeless #Shelters #NYPD

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 25- State Senator and Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein), together with Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, Councilman James Vacca, members of Community Board 10, the Ferry Point Park Civic Association and Friends of Ferry Point Park called on the New York City Department of Homeless Services to ban level two and level three sex offenders from temporary emergency housing and homeless shelters used to house families with children.

“Allowing high-level sex offenders to stay in family shelters where vulnerable women and children are trying to get back on their feet is not only troublesome but dangerous. With more than 60,000 homeless New Yorkers sleeping in New York City shelters and thousands more out on the street, we need to take every measure to protect those in our care,” said Senator Klein. “That’s why I have introduced legislation in the State Senate that would prohibit the NYC Department of Homeless Services from placing these risky offenders in shelters housing women and children. This is a critical measure in ensuring the safety and security of all homeless New Yorkers and I look forward to working with my partners in Albany to see this important piece of legislation passed in the coming weeks and months.”

The renewed call comes in response to shocking revelations and widespread press reports that two male sex offenders currently reside at the Crystal Family Residence, a new 95-room family shelter and former location of the controversial Capri Whitestone Motel in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. Curtis Bolden, a 58-year-old male, convicted on two counts of rape in the first degree and released from prison in 2010, was found to be living at the shelter on January 15th. One week later, James Bryant, a 50-year-old male convicted of molesting a 7-year-old child, was also found to be living at the family shelter.  

Senator Klein’s legislation would prevent harmful predators, including level two and level three sex offenders, from being housed in family shelters and require by law that they be placed in adult-only shelters or shelters without children. This important legislation would bring the shelter system up to speed with current social services law that bars level two and level three sex offenders from living in public housing.

“The Department of Homeless services had acted with arrogance when they forced this shelter upon our community and refused to work with with elected leaders in finding an alternative site,” said Assemblyman Benedetto. “Now they have apparently shown incompetence in selecting a managing agent who doesn’t bother checking whether they are putting sex offenders in a shelter where young children are being housed. This is intolerable.”

“Our shelters are safe havens for families and children experiencing the most difficult of hardships,” said Bronx Councilman Vacca. “We cannot, in good conscience, accept the risk of allowing sex offenders to live in close quarters with these already vulnerable families.”

“We fully support this positive change directed at the safety and welfare of residents at the Crystal Family Residence. This is a significant first step in making New York City shelters safer for the women and children who reside there, but there is still work to be done,” said Martin Prince, Board Chair of Community Board 10. “The homeless population in New York has increased astronomically in recent years. Making sure that each and every person who needs a home is provided with the safe haven they so deserve is of the utmost importance.” 

“As we try to adjust to this ‘surprise’ homeless shelter that was placed about 200 ft. away from our very populated park, with no security cameras and or Parks Enforcement Patrol we are now shocked by the knowledge that sex offenders imported from other areas are also living among the families without their knowledge,” said Dorthea Poggi, President of the Friends of Ferry Point Park Organization and member of the Citizens Advice Board for the Crystal Family Residence. "This is unacceptable by any responsible standards.” 

“In our opinion, while it’s nice to provide shelter to those in need, it is not without consequences. It has been brought to our attention that there are registered sex offenders residing at the former Capri Motel, now known as the Crystal Family Residence. The proximity to Msgr. Scanlan High School, Ferry Point Park and the newly developed Target location, as well as residents and homeowners of Ferry Point, is questionable,” said Jo Anne Sohmers, President of the Ferry Point Civic Association. “Furthermore, sex offenders should not be placed in a home that clearly houses women and children. We fully support Senator Klein's efforts to pass a bill which would ban registered sex offenders from residing in any family homeless shelter.”

The Crystal Family Residence is a family homeless shelter located at 555 Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx. The new residence was converted from the former hot-sheet hotel, the Capri Whitestone, in September, 2015. 

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Restaurant Owners Busted for Tax Evasion

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Restaurant Owners Busted for Tax Evasion: Restaurant Owners Busted for Tax Evasion  #Taxes #NYPD #Restaurant BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 23-  The New York State Department of Taxat...

Restaurant Owners Busted for Tax Evasion

Restaurant Owners Busted for Tax Evasion 

#Taxes #NYPD #Restaurant

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 23- The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced that the co-owners of three restaurants in the Bronx have been arrested for sales tax evasion.

The defendants were identified as Marlon J. Muentes, 58, of Allerton Ave., the Bronx, and Teodoro Mosaurieta, 67, of Woodhaven, NY, and their three equally co-owned Bronx-based restaurants, which have previously closed: King Steak Corp. at 500 East 149th St., 463 Willis Ave. Corp. at 463 Willis Ave., and 849 Castle Hill Corp., located at 849 Castle Hill Ave.

The defendants were charged on January 20 with multiple felonies, including grand larceny and criminal tax fraud.  They allegedly collected $100,000 in sales tax from customers at the three restaurants but failed to remit those funds to the State as required by law.

The next court date has not been set. The defendants, if convicted, could serve from 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the Tax Department's Criminal Investigations Division and will be prosecuted by the Bronx County District Attorney's office.

A criminal complaint is an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Each year, New York State businesses collect more than $25 billion in sales tax from their customers. The vast majority of the funds (97%) are remitted voluntarily by businesses to the Tax Department for state programs and distribution to local governments.

Taxpayers who believe a business hasn't collected the proper sales tax, or has collected it but failed to remit the funds, can report tax evasion and fraudonline at the Tax Department's Web site or by calling 518-457-0578. The information is kept confidential.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Teen Charged with Kicking Mom Holding Baby

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Teen Charged with Kicking Mom Holding Baby: Teen Charged with Kicking Mom Holding Baby  #NYPD #Kick #Mom #CellPhone BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 22- District Attorney Robert Johnson anno...

Teen Charged with Kicking Mom Holding Baby

Teen Charged with Kicking Mom Holding Baby 

#NYPD #Kick #Mom #CellPhone

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 22- District Attorney Robert Johnson announces that 18-year-old Alonzo Brown, accused of taking a “flying drop kick” at a mother and baby in order to steal her cell phone, has been arraigned on robbery and other charges for the November 28, 2014 incident on East Tremont near Bronx Park Avenue.

Odilia Orozco had her three-month-old son strapped to her chest as she was walking down the street with her cell phone in hand. Walking in the opposite direction, Brown is accused of going past, then turning around and running after the woman, kicking her in her back and knocking her to the sidewalk, baby and all. He then allegedly grabbed the mom’s phone and ran.

During Brown’s Supreme Court Arraignment, Justice George Villegas referred to the incident as a “flying drop kick” – and granted the Bronx D.A.’s request for an increase in bail, to $50,000 cash/$50,000 bond.  

The entire incident was caught on surveillance video.

ALONZO BROWN is charged with:

Robbery in the second degree (C-level Felony)

Robbery in the third degree (D-level Felony)

Grand Larceny in the fourth degree (E-level Felony)

Endangering the welfare of a child (A-level Misdemeanor)

Reckless endangerment in the first degree

If convicted of the charges, Brown could face three-and-a-half to 15 years behind bars. The case has been adjourned until April 14, 2015 in Part 77.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Workers Paradise Screwed Over Workers?

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Workers Paradise Screwed Over Workers?: Workers Paradise Screwed Over Workers? Fiscal Crisis Could Lead to Layoffs, Residents Getting Slapped with New Fees Community Needs to Pay...

Workers Paradise Screwed Over Workers?

Workers Paradise Screwed Over Workers?

Fiscal Crisis Could Lead to Layoffs, Residents Getting Slapped with New Fees

Community Needs to Pay $6.25M Worker Settlement

#CoopCity #Riverbay #Lawsuit #Legionnaires

By Michael Horowitz

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 22- Riverbay president Cleve Taylor, blaming Herbert Freedman and Marion Scott Real Estate, Inc., for Co-op City’s latest crisis, said the community’s board of directors is considering the possibility of imposing a onetime assessment of $128 per room to pay the $6.25-million settlement of the labor case that management’s workers brought against Riverbay in April 2013 and other immediate expenses that must be met over the next five months.

The immediate expenses that must be paid amount to $9 million, Taylor noted. These expenses, the Riverbay president include, in addition to the labor-case settlement, $500,000 for legal expenses in conjunction with the labor case, $1 million to $2 million in costs relating to Co-op City’s recent cases of Legionnaires’ Disease, $300,000 for a litigation and contingency reserve fund, and $1 million for a general reserve fund.

The Riverbay president said that Wells Fargo Bank, which holds Co-op City’s current $621.5-million mortgage, has told Riverbay Corporation representatives that Co-op City can not touch a $45-million reserve fund, set up to pay for specifically designated capital improvements, to pay the expenses that Riverbay now confronts.

Taylor, in a telephone interview, said, “We, as shareholders, are being forced to pay for the mistakes of Marion Scott. It pains me that the community’s shareholders, many of whom are already having trouble paying their monthly carrying charges, are now being forced to pay for 15 years of mismanagement by Herbert Freedman and Marion Scott.”

In addition to the $128-per-room assessment that is being weighed, Taylor noted that the members of the board are also considering an increase in carrying charges of 3 to 4 percent “to rectify the mess that Marion Scott has left for us.”

Taylor noted that the opinions of shareholders on how to proceed in conjunction with the crisis that Co-op City now confronts will be sought at town-hall meetings that will be held in the community in February.

The options, the Riverbay president noted, include suing the Scott firm in conjunction with the $6.25-million settlement of the labor case and suing Scott Trivella, Co-op City’s long-time labor attorney, for malpractice in connection with his advice that it was okay for the Riverbay Corporation to give workers compensating time in lieu of overtime pay.

Informed sources, who wished to remain unidentified, indicated, this week, that both of these possible lawsuits would be difficult to pursue successfully.

Another option for the Riverbay Corporation would be to significantly reduce Co-op City’s corporate expenses --- an option that Taylor thinks would bear little fruit, but Riverbay vice president Daryl Johnson believes could save Co-op City $20 million per year.

Taylor, for his part, stressed, “Even without the need for $9 million within the next five months, it is clear that the Riverbay Corporation cannot continue to operate the way it has been operating. It is unconscionable that Herbert Freedman and Marion Scott depleted our reserve funds to the point that we need to consider drastic measures to meet our immediate expenses and to get by in the years to come. At this point, we have almost no cash on hand to meet contingencies, like the ones we are now facing with reserve funds that are now virtually nonexistent.”

Riverbay president Cleve Taylor said, this week, that a layoff of some of Co-op City’s 1,100 workers has to be considered as one of the options in the desperate fiscal crisis that the community now confronts.

“All options have to be on the table at this point,” Taylor stressed, in a telephone interview on Monday. “The long and the short of it is that we have to increase expenses and/or reduce costs to come up with the $9 million we are going to need over the next five months.”

The Riverbay president noted that within the context of the current crisis, reducing the hours that Co-op City’s employees work and a temporary or permanent layoff of some of Riverbay’s employees have to be considered.

Civic activist Frank Belcher, reflecting on the possibility of laying off Co-op City workers, noted, “I am convinced that we could lay off 10 percent of our workforce without affecting the delivery of services to the shareholders. It has been obvious to me, for years, that we could easily cut the workforce if the Riverbay Corporation changed its culture of corporate waste. We can do more with less if the housing company finally insists on an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.”

Belcher added, “Before the board starts considering imposing a $128-per-room assessment, the members of the board need to sharpen their pencils and reduce costs. It’s clear to me, and it should be clear to the members of the board, that laying off workers is a much better option than imposing an onerous assessment that many of the shareholders can’t afford to pay.”

Riverbay vice president Daryl Johnson, saying that it was premature to reflect on a possible layoff of Co-op City’s workers at this time, has repeatedly stated that the estimated $700,000 in overtime pay that Riverbay employees take home on an annual basis could be eliminated or be severely cut without significantly affecting the level of services in the local community.

A possible layoff of workers would be difficult for many shareholders in the community to swallow because of their backgrounds with unions and their support for working people.

However, in the final analysis, laying off workers may be the only reasonable option for shareholders trying to avoid an assessment of $128 per room, which would have to be paid over a five-month period.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): DeBlasio Promotes Traffic Changes Here

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): DeBlasio Promotes Traffic Changes Here: DeBlasio Promotes Traffic Changes Here #DeBlasio #VisionZero 100 PERCENT By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 21- Last Wednesday Mayor...

DeBlasio Promotes Traffic Changes Here

DeBlasio Promotes Traffic Changes Here

#DeBlasio #VisionZero

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 21- Last Wednesday Mayor Bill deBlasio came to the Bronx to tout his Vision Zero Program. It was the 50th finished Vision Zero project at the intersection of East Tremont Avenue and Silver Street.

The mayor held a press conference at the old DOP traffic court building on Williamsbridge Road a few blocks away from the intersection. The mayor said through lowering the speed limit to 25 MPH, new speed camera enforcement, redesign of intersections and roadways, and the installation of over 400 speed bumps citywide the lowest number of pedestrian fatalities has been accomplished since the statistic was first charted back to 1911. Mayor deBlasio said that in 2014 there were only 134 pedestrian fatalities.

NYC Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg was with the mayor to echo his words as were Councilman Jimmy Vacca and Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda (whose districts East Tremont Avenue and Silver Street is located). Councilman Vacca the former City Council Transportation Committee chair said that he would like to see a speed bump on every street to help lower the number even more. You can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to read more, and see photos of the mayor, NYC Transportation Commissioner Trottenberg, Councilman Vacca, Assemblyman Sepulveda, and the intersections of East Tremont Avenue and Silver Street, as well as Broadway and 96th Street, and one Hudson Street intersection in Manhattan before and after the Vision Zero upgrade.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is leading a delegation of Latinos to the country of Israel. The aim of the trip is to discover what Israel has to offer, learn why Israel's strength is important, and the growing relationship between the people of Israel and Latinos. The BP mentions that at one time there were more people of Jewish faith in the Bronx than the country of Israel. You can read the entire 'Why I am Visiting Israel' by Bronx BP Diaz on my blog.

Speaking of taking trips, Governor Andrew Cuomo will soon be going to visit Cuba now that President Obama has removed travel and trade restrictions on Cuba. The trip to Cuba by Governor Cuomo is being billed as a 'Trade Mission to Cuba', as part of the governor's 'Global Initiative’.

While on the subject of Governor Andrew Cuomo, former City Council Speaker and failed mayoral candidate Christine Quinn will become a special adviser to the governor in April after she finishes up classes. Quinn was the head of the Woman's Equality Party movement for the governor that helped him win re-election, and form a new ballot line for the next four years at least.

Finally, after keeping his position as District Manager of Community Board 9 by 2 votes in December 2013, Francisco Gonzalez has been relieved of his position of District Manager at the January 15^th Community Board 9 meeting. The vote went 17 for dismissal, 2 against, and 2 CB 9 members abstaining. CB 9 will now begin a search for a new district manager. Go to my blog for the official statement by Community Board 9, and the possible reason why.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, is accepting applications to become a member of one of the 12 Bronx community boards. You can go to bronxboropres.gov/communityboards to find out more and to download the 2015 Bronx Community Board application. The deadline is February 6^th 2015. Only New York City residents, who either live, have a business, or other significant interest in the community district, are eligible to be considered for membership on a local community board.

If you have any political information that you want to share or have checked out, any comments about this column, or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Body Parts Rain Down from Subway Tracks

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Body Parts Rain Down from Subway Tracks: Body Parts Rain Down from Subway Tracks #NYPD #BodyParts #Subway By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 20- Pedestrians walking along...

Body Parts Rain Down from Subway Tracks

Body Parts Rain Down from Subway Tracks

#NYPD #BodyParts #Subway

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 20- Pedestrians walking along Jerome Avenue
and East 183 Street came across a horrific scene as body parts rained
down from the elevated train, after a man leaped to his death.

Police and paramedics were called to the East 183 Street station at
1:34 p.m. on January 17, for reports of a man under a train. Police
say the unidentified 24-year-old male jumped in front of a northbound
4 train and died at the scene. Train service and traffic along Jerome
Avenue was halted for nearly two hours as the victim was removed.

Witnesses at the scene reported parts of the victim rained down on
Jerome Avenue across the street from an EMS station.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Fordham University Women Win Fifth Straight

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Fordham University Women Win Fifth Straight: Fordham University Women Win Fifth Straight #Fordham #Rams #Basketball By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 19- The Fordham Rams (13-5,...

Fordham University Women Win Fifth Straight

Fordham University Women Win Fifth Straight

#Fordham #Rams #Basketball

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 19- The Fordham Rams (13-5, 5-0), in their second of three consecutive home games, defeated the VCU Rams (12-6, 3-2), 60-51, on Sunday afternoon at the Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx. 

Both teams entered the contest with four-game winning streaks, with eight wins in their last nine contests and with identical season marks. The visitors have a perfect mark at home, but have lost six of 10 on the road. 

The visitors netted the first basket of the game at 19:19, held their only advantage of the contest for 34 seconds. Mid-way through the first half, Fordham raised its lead to double digits for the first time in the contest. Thanks to the effective offensive play of Fordham center Samantha Clark, Fordham ended the half with a 27-18 lead. The current Atlantic-10 Player of the Week was the high scorer of the half with 13 points.

Fordham raised its lead to a game-high 16 points at 12:15 in the second half. An 11-1 scoring run by VCU cut the deficit to six four minutes later. Two three pointers by Hannah Missry raised the home team’s advantage to 14, 51-37, with 5:20 Left on the clock. After the game, Coach Gaitley complimented “the inside-outisde play” of Clark and Missry for the victory. Clark scored 18 and Missry scored 17.

The coach also recognized the tough non-conference schedule for its recent great success, “The non-conference schedule absolutely prepared us for the conference.” 

A contingent of Fordham alums from the women’s basketball program included Hall of Fame members Anne Gregory O’Connell and Mary Ann Belotti were honored at the half.

The Fordham Rams will host UMass in their next contest, a noon matinee on Wednesdeay.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): St. Ray’s Competes in Tourney

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): St. Ray’s Competes in Tourney: St. Ray’s Competes in Tourney #StRaymonds #Basketball By Gary Quintal BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 19- Fans of high school basketball were tr...

St. Ray’s Competes in Tourney

St. Ray’s Competes in Tourney

#StRaymonds #Basketball

By Gary Quintal

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 19- Fans of high school basketball were treated to the 12th annual Big Apple Invitational at Baruch College this Martin Luther King weekend.  

Among the 17 participants were two Bronx Catholic high schools: Cardinal Hayes and Saint Raymond. Ohter schools featured came from as far as Washington D.C., Massachusetts, and Virgina. The tournament is a showcase of elite high schools from the region. Many of the players have already committed to college basketball programs. 

On the opening day Saint Raymond won a thrilling overtime contest 82-73 after Saint John's College High School sent the game into overtime, scoring a three pointer with 19.9 seconds to play. 

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): NYPD Protesters Mark 20 Years Since Killing of 3 B...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): NYPD Protesters Mark 20 Years Since Killing of 3 B...: NYPD Protesters Mark 20 Years Since Killing of 3 Bronxites #NYPD # Police Brutality #AnthonyBaez By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY ...

NYPD Protesters Mark 20 Years Since Killing of 3 Bronxites

NYPD Protesters Mark 20 Years Since Killing of 3 Bronxites

#NYPD #Police Brutality #AnthonyBaez

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 16- Dozens of vocal demonstrators participated in two gatherings marking the 20th anniversary of the death of three young men who died at the hands of police officers.

On December 22, just two days after police officers Wenijan Liu and Rafael Ramos who shot and killed execution-style in Brooklyn, the families and friends of Anthony Baez gathered on the street where he died.

Baez, 29, was killed during a confrontation with two officers along Cameron Place in the Mount Hope section. Baez had been tossing a football with his brother David, when the ball hit a police cruiser. Officer Frank Livoti then put Baez in a choke hold following after confronting the ball players.

The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide attributed to a choke-hold. Livoti was eventually convicted of violating Baez' civil rights and served six years in federal prison.

Since her son's death, Iris Baez has been an outspoken leader on police brutality. Shortly after her son's death on December 22, 1994, she quickly began meeting family members of other victims and opening her home for gatherings.

"He was just a party kid," the still distraught mother recalled 20 years later. "He just liked to have a lot of people around him... (and) he knew how to defuse a situation."

A little more than two weeks after Baez' death, Anthony Rosario, 18, and Hilton Vega, 21, were shot and killed on Grand Avenue in Morris Heights on January 12, 1995, in a barrage of 28 shots fired by a pair of detectives. Twenty-two of those shots hit their targets and killed both young men.

Margarita Rosario soon immortalized her son and nephew with murals of the pair on her car with the headline: Killed at the Hands of Police. The car was repeatedly vandalized, so she began work on her Kingsbridge Terrace home.

For the last two decades the home has had the larger-than-life murals of the two men along with the names of others killed by police officers.

During a December 27 vigil for Rosario and Vega they added the name of Mohamhed Bah, who was shot and killed by police in Manhattan in September, 2013. Rosario was joined by Hawa Bah, the victims mother.

Addressing the current rift between Mayor Bill de Blasio and Patrolman's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch, Margarita Rosario told the crowd she was furious, "When I hear (Pat) Lynch saying how the mayor is disrespecting the police officers... instead of sympathizing with the families" of police brutality victims.

Jonathan Cain of the Grand Concourse explained his peaceful demonstrations against the NYPD, saying, "Every cop is not guilty for what happened to Eric Garner and Mike Brown. It was the cops involved in these incidents who are the guilty ones."

Protester Quase Beasley added, "We need to start a conversation on how to fix this broken system, because it's not working the way it is." Beasley vowed to continue her peaceful protesting into the New Year.

Detectives James Crowe and Patrick Brosnan were exonerated by a grand jury, but the city settled a wrongful death suit in 2009, paying the Rosario and Vega families $1.1 million. 

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Cops Still Hunt Perv who Attacked Senior

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Cops Still Hunt Perv who Attacked Senior: Cops Still Hunt Perv who Attacked Senior X-mas Sex Fiend Arrested #NYPD #SexualAssault #Senior #Bronx By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, JAN...

Cops Still Hunt Perv who Attacked Senior

Cops Still Hunt Perv who Attacked Senior

X-mas Sex Fiend Arrested

#NYPD #SexualAssault #Senior #Bronx

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 16- Detectives from the NYPD continue to hunt a young woman after a bizarre claim by a senior citizen, that she was sexually assaulted inside her home-- just steps away from  Fordham University.

Officers were called to the gated Rose Hill Apartments, that overlooks the New York Botanical Gardens and the Fordham Prep football field at 2855 Southern Boulevard in the Fordham section, at 2:30 p.m. on December 27.

The unidentified victim was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where she was treated and released.

According to a neighbor of the victim who declined to be identified, the woman was at home with her husband when she was attacked at 11:30 p.m. the previous night.

The neighbor also charged that staff at the assisted-living home for seniors refused to call police, until the victim's grandson arrived the following day.

The witness reported, "The son said that she was sexually attacked, so they called the ambulance."

The witness  continued, "I don't know how they went in unless she had the door open... because to come in the building they have security in the front, but there's a lot of Korean people that leave their doors open."

The witness concluded, "They didn't call the police until the son came and then he was so excited there in the lobby, telling them to call the police because his grandmother was sexually attacked."

The resident added, "They have people who speak Korean, but not the people who work here."

The 119-unit building accepts seniors over the age of 62 years-old and is a Section 8 building that boasts in one online advertisement, "affordable housing community serving low income renters." However, sources say studio apartment average $1,324 per month.

An official at Rose Hill Apartments stated, "no comment" and directed calls to the property manager, who was currently unavailable.

Asked about the alleged incident, the official replied, "Actually, I'm not allowed to comment" about the incident.

Sources close to the investigation confirm that the suspect was buzzed in by staff and the suspect gained entry to the apartment by impersonating a caregiver.

According to family members, the suspect eventually pinned the elderly woman to a wall and began to fondle her. The victim resisted, when the young woman fled.

On December 29, the NYPD released a photo of the alleged suspect, a dark haired woman in her 30's, who police say is 5 foot 6 and 135 pounds.

Anyone with any information is asked to call CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls remain confidential.

In an unrelated incident, police have announced the arrest of a suspect wanted in connection with the Christmas morning attack of a 51-year-old woman at a Pelham Parkway bus stop.

Investigators say the woman was waiting for a bus at Boston Road and Pelham Parkway North, when she was attacked at 6:20 a.m. on December 25.

Officials say the assailant punched the woman in the face, before dragging her to a secluded location where the attack occurred.

Within hours of the attack police released a surveillance video of the suspect and the following day Bronx resident Jose Roys, 37, walked into the 52nd Precinct and confessed to the crime.

Roys was charged with rape, sex abuse, assault and robbery and was being held without bail on Rikers Island.  

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): NYPD MDs?

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): NYPD MDs?: NYPD MDs? Cops Save Life with New Drug #NYPD #Drugs #Heroin By Alex Cayman BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 15- A pair of hero cops and a new drug...

NYPD MDs?

NYPD MDs?

Cops Save Life with New Drug

#NYPD #Drugs #Heroin

By Alex Cayman

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 15- A pair of hero cops and a new drug issued to police officers recently-- saved a young man's life in the Soundview section on the morning of New Year's Eve.

Officers and paramedics were dispatched for an unconscious teen at 1020 Boynton Avenue, at 10:45 a.m. on December 31. Patrolman Fernando Gonzalez and his partner officer Brenda Colon of the 43rd Precinct arrived and discovered the still-unidentified 18-year-old male, who was unconscious and unresponsive.

Gonzalez quickly administered the new drug Naloxone intranasal spray or Narcan as it is often called-- and officials say the teen immediately regained consciousness and was rushed to Jacobi Hospital.

The unidentified victim is expected to make a complete recovery. Naloxone counters the effects of an acute opiate overdose and is delivered without the use of a needle. It is sprayed into the victim’s nose, thus speeding-up the drug's delivery time.

In May, 2014 members of the NYPD were issued the counter-acting drug after a resurgence of the heroin epidemic.

The more than $1 million to fund the new Community Overdose Prevention Program came from the office of State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Deputy Inspector Russell Green of the 43rd Precinct congratulated the two officers and stated, "Officers Gonzalez and Colon did a great job remaining calm and saving a life in a stressful situation.”

William Rivera, the Chairman of Community Board # 9 offered, "We thank the officers for their quick response and their training," with the new drug.

Rivera said of the program that puts Naloxone at the fingertips of officers, "This is an example that this program is needed and will be supported for some time.” 

The NYPD could not immediately say how many lives were saved with the drug since the program began, but Elisheva Zakheim of the FDNY stated that the drug has been used by paramedics since the 1970's and added, "The drug was administered by paramedic units more than 3,000 times in 2014, and an average of 40 times monthly.”

Zakheim added that Emergency Medical Technicians also began carrying the drug in 2014.